As the name suggests, Cementland is an incomplete public art museum that lies on the former Portland Cement Factory site. The site which is located in S.t Louis, Missouri was used by the local cement factory for years after which it was abandoned and left for construction industries to use as a dumpsite. Today, the site sits abandoned and deserted with several unfinished buildings all over the property

The story behind the famous Cementland

Cementland is the site where the former famous Portland cement factory was situated. The factory and its vast land were abandoned by the company making it a favorite spot for local construction industries who for a long time used it to dump their concrete and construction wastes. Years of dump and neglect not forgetting vandalism would later cause obscene destruction of the buildings. Bob Cassilly later purchased the land from its original owners with plans of turning it into a public amusement park. Cassilly, experienced in this kind of work with a portfolio of a similar project in S.t Louis Museum, launched work on the site almost immediately. By 2011 when Cassilly died, he had built several sculptures all over the vast piece of land.

Abandonment

Cassilly’s plans, though at a slow pace, were going on well as planned until it came to a halt when the brains behind its restoration died in 2011. Cassilly died allegedly by accident when the bulldozer he was operating toppled off a cliff. Though this is what the crime scene revealed, the postmortem results showed that Bob Cassilly died of a serious beating. Death of Cassilly would take the ruins into further deterioration a second time with even more structures (sculptures) to add to their ruins. Since then, the site has been subjected to vandalism and late-night party den for rowdy teens.

What remains of Cementland today? 

The incomplete amusement park remains to be an eye-sore in the middle of S.t Louis City. Since the death of Cassilly, the wife had plans of proceeding with the development of the amusement park. She was handed back ownership of the property by the state of Missouri five years after the husband’s demise. She has currently launched a website to gather ideas from the residents on how they would like the land to be reused. Today, Cementland is abandoned and its ruins standing tall waiting for their fate in despair.  To prevent further vandalism at the site, the owner has employed full-time security guards to keep away trespassers. No one is allowed in the building or to lurk around the site. The compound is filled with construction remains and several incomplete buildings with protruding metal bars that may cause serious injuries. The roofs of the buildings are not secure either making it dangerous as one may easily fall off.